Combination door lock and valve for steam cookers



Jan. 4, 1949. C, C. YQUNG' ET AL COMBINATION D OOR LOCK AND VALVE FORSTEAM COOKERS Filed Aug. 28, 1944 A Trae/wir.

Patented Jan. 4, 1949 COMBINATION DOO LOCK AND VALVE FOR STEAM COOKERSCyril Charles Young and Donald F. Troupe,

Kansas City, Mg., assignors to The Vendo Company, KansasV City, 4 lt o.,

Missouri a corporation of Application August 28, 1944, Serial N0.551,589

6 Claims. (Cl. 126-20) This invention pertains to closure locks andsteam supply mechanism for cookers, and has for a primary aim to providea unique assembly of parts capable of manual manipulationby the operatorwhen it is desired to seal the cooking compartment, introduce steamthereto, and exhaust the same in sequence and at related times havingregard to the locked condition of the closure.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide a steamsupply and exhaust valve assembly for cookers, the operation whereofoccurs during certain cycles as the closure lock is manually moved tohold the closure shut and sealed.

This invention has for a still further aim the provision of acombination closure lock and steam supply valve assembly, the parts ofwhich are disposed in operative relation with each other and in acompact group adjacent to the manually manipulable grip carried by theclosure at a point convenient to the user of the cooker.

Other objects of the invention include the specific manner of formingsteam valve operating parts on a latch so that the latch maysuccessively hold the closure in a shut position, open the valve tointroduce steam to the closed compartment, and thereafter exhaust thesteam from the compartment immediately prior to releasing the closurefor movement to an open position.

Other objects of the invention, including specic details of constructionand the manner of exhausting the steam valve and latch, will appearduring the course of the following specification, referring to theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the front of a steam cookerclosure having the combination door lock and valve made in accordancewith the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational'jview of the closureillustrating the latch in an inoperative position, parts of the closureiront being broken away to completely reveal the latch portion of thelock.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on line IV--IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but with the latch in a position tohold the supply valve in an open position.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line VI--VI of Fig. 5; `and Fig. 7is an longitudinal sectional view through the steam supply valve per se.

The steam cooker of which the assembly about to be described, is acomponent part, constitutes the subject matter of our co-pendingapplication for U. S. Letters. Patent, filed August 28, 1944, Serial No.551,588, now matured into Patent Number 2,444,587.

The steam cooker comprises a body lll having a compartment l2 formedtherein for the reception of food or the like vto be treated when theappliance is in normal use.

The body of the cooker carries a closure lil swingably mounted as atliifor movement to and from the operative position illustrated in Fig.2, Where compartment l2 is sealed. This closure is oi the type generallyemployed in that it is movable by the operator when a convenientlydisposed latch is manipulated from the locked position.

One of the aims of the invention is to maintain the more or lessstandardized character of stove or cooker door and at the same time,equip the steam cooker with parts embodying the invention and capable offulfilling the aforesaid objects. t is also desirable to permit the'parts made to embody this invention, to function in a familial' mannerin the interest of safety, convenience, and public acceptance of theimprovements.

In the steam cooker of which the assembly about to be described indetail is a part, compartment I2 receives the food to be treated, andsteam is supplied thereto through a tube lil extending from any suitablesource of supply such as a small boiler not here shown. The port 26 forthe steam is in communication with compartment I2 and the hollowinterior of valve 22. f

Plunger 24 extending longitudinally from the body of valve 22 has a pairof spaced pistons 26 and 23 respectively, normally held in place by aspring 35 where port 2li is in communication with tube 32, leading to adrain'or such receiver as may be provided in the cooker. This tube 32 isthe exhaust conduit of valve 22 and to insure safety, compartment l2 isalways normally being exhausted until plunger 24 is manipulated by theoperator, as will more fully hereinafter be disclosed.

When plunger 24 is in the position shown in Fig. '7, steam tube i8 isclosed and the compartment l2 is being evacuated by way oi port 2Q andtube 32. Port 20 serves as both an inlet and an outlet port. Whenserving as an inlet port, its flared form and baffle 2l precludes a jetof steam from entering compartment lf2. The steam is broken into severalstreams so as to protect the contents of compartment i2.

Grip 34 mounted on pintle 3B rotatably journalled in closure I4, asillustrated in Fig. 2, is exposed to view and within easy reach.

A specially formed latch plate, broadly designated by the numeral 38, ismounted upon pintle 36 and formed tofpresent twoy parts 40,. and 42respectively. Each part is an arcuate cam face, substantially concentricwith the axis of rotation of grip 34, and disposed a distance from` thiscenter to cooperate with plate 44. This latch plate 44 is rigid to bodyII'IA of the steam cooker, and enters the double walled closure I4through an opening 46 to corne-into` engageable position with cam 40. Anelongated, relatively wide aperture 48 formed through plate 44're-1-ceives latch 38 as grip 34 is rotated about the axis of pintle 36.

In Fig. 3, the lock assembly is inoperative and the closure may be movedabout its hinge connection I6. Plunger 24 is in the normal positionwhere chamber I2 isbeing exhausted if any steam should remain therein.When the closure I4 is swung. across the open front of compartment I2,the sealingmeans 50' carried by closure I 4 and. lying between the sameand body II), insures a steam-tight joint. As grip 34 is turned in thedirection of they arrows shown in Fig. 3, part 4D, which is a cam face,enters aperture 48 and frictionally engages theedge of plate 44, asshown in Fig. 2. This cam 4I] is so formed as to draw closure I4-against body I0 and maintain the relation between these parts as grip 34is forced through the latter portion of its path of travel toward a stop52 mounted in any suitable place upon closure I4 to engage grip 34.

After closure I4 is locked, cam 42 -moves through aperture 48 and intoengagement with plunger 2-4. Plunger 24 will be moved inwardly againstthe pressure of spring 30 and interconnect tube I8 and outlet port 20 tointroduce steam into compartment I2. While this action is occurring, cam40 is in engagement with plate 44 and closure I4 is held inplace. To theend that this operation may be successful, cam 40 is in overlappingside-by-side relation with cam 42, and cam 42 is shorter than cam 40,whereby plunger 24 will be disengaged as grip 34 is returned to theposition shown in Fig, 3. Cam 40 will not release its hold upon plate 44until after plunger 24 has been released by cam 42 and outlet port 20has been placed to communicate with tube 32. Thus, any steam remainingin compartment I2 will escape before closure I4 can be opened. Theadvantages of this are obvious, and even though a low pressure steam isemployed in the cooker, it is desirable to eliminate the fear due to thepresence of any steam within compartment I2 and/or its escape throughthe open front when and as closure I4 is unlatched and swung openPlunger 24 of valve 22 should be so disposed as to enter the spacewithin closure I4 when the latter is in the position shown in Fig. 2.all to the end that a compact and inter-related assembly of valve andlock' may be provided.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a steam cooker having a body provided with a compartment, aconnection with a steam supply, an exhaust tube, a closure swingable toand from a position closing the compartment, and a steam supply andexhaust valve constructed to admit steam to the compartment when in oneposition and toexhaust steam from the compartment through the exhausttube when in the normal position; a latch having parts on the closureand parts on the cooker body, said parts on the closure being manuallymovable through a path of travel during the rst portion whereof thepartson the closure interconnect with the partsA on. the body to holdthe closure shut, the parts on the closure being formed to engage andactuate the valve from said normal position exhausting the compartmentthrough said` tube to the position supplying steam to the .compartmentas the latch is moved' throughthe last portion of its path of travel.

2. In av steamv cooker having a body provided with a compartment, aconnection With a steam supply, an exhaust. tube, a closure swingable toand from a position closing the compartment, and a steam supply andexhaust valve constructed to admit steam to the compartment when in onepositionand to exhaust steam from the compartment through the exhausttube when in the normal position; a latch having parts on theclosure'and parts on-.thev cooker body, said parts on the closure beingmanually movable through a path, of travel during thefirst portionwhereof theparts onthe closure interconnect With parts on thebody tohold the closure shut, the parts on the closure being formed to engageand actuate the valve from said normal position exhausting thecompartment through said tube to the position supplying steam'to thecompartment as the latch is moved through the last portion of its pathof travel, said parts on the body and parts on the closure beingcontinuously interconnected to maintainA the closure shut while theparts on the closure are moved through said last portion ofv their pathof travel to actuate the valve to supply steamv to the compartment.

3. A steam cookerhaving a latch as described in claim 2 wherein the parton the closure com-v prises a pair of cams, one of the said cams beingformed to engage the part of the latch on the cooker body, thel other ofsaid cams being positioned and formed to operate the steam supply valveafter the first mentioned cam has functioned.

4. A steam cooker having a latch as described in claim 2, wherein thepart on the closure comprises a pair of cams, one of the said cams beingformed to engage the part of the latch on the cooker body, the other ofsaid cams being positioned and formed to operate the steam supply valveafter the first mentioned cam has functioned, said cams being movable asa unit about a common axis of rotation.

5. In a steam cooker having a body forming a compartment, a connectionwith a steam supply, an exhaust tube, and a. closure swingable to andfrom a position closing the compartment; a lock and steam supply andexhaust valve assembly. constructed to admitsteam to the compartmentwhen in one position and to exhaust steam from the compartment throughthe exhaust tube when in the normal position, in combination with alatch on the closure manually shiitable in one direction to a placewhere the closure is locked in a shut condition, said body and saidlatch each having. parts interengageable as the latch is shifted in saiddirection, said parts of the latch being engageable with said valveafter the closure is locked shut and upon further movement of the latchin said one direction to actuate the steam supply valve to a conditionwhere steam is admitted to thecompartment, said valve having yieldablemeans for normally maintaining the same in a condition to exhaust thecompartment through the exhaust tube, said latch having parts forreleasing the valve to permit its return to the normal condition as thelatch is manually shifted in another direction toward a position Wherethe closure is unlocked, whereby the compartment is exhausted before theclosure is swingable to an open condition.

6. In a steam cooker having a body forming a compartment, a connectionwith a steam supply, an exhaust tube, and a closure swingable to andfrom a position closing the compartment; a lock and steam supply andexhaust Valve assembly constructed to admit steam to the compartmentwhen in one position and to exhaust steam from the compartment throughthe exhaust tube when in the normal position in combination with a latchon the closure manually shiftable in one direction to a place Where theclosure is held shut, said body and said latch each having partsinterengageable as the latch is shifted in said direction, said parts ofthe latch being engageable with said steam supply valve upon furthermovement thereof in said one direction to actuate 6 said valve to acondition Where steam is admitted to the compartment; and yieldablemeans for holding the valve normally in a condition to eX- haust thecompartment through the exhaust tube until the latch has secured theclosure in a shut position.

CYRIL CHARLES YOUNG. DONALD F. TROUPE.

REFERENCES CITED

